About 4,800 poor farming households in Vietnam’s northern provinces of Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, and Phu Tho will receive aid worth more than US$4.1 million from the Spain’s fund for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Vietnamese Government to increase incomes and employment opportunities.

The information was given at a press briefing to introduce the “Green Production and Trade to Increase Income and Employment Opportunities for the Rural Poor” programme on November 25.

The programme is aimed at increasing the sustainable incomes of raw materials growers and processors, and rural crafts and furniture producing households and enterprises, as well as improving policies and regulatory frameworks at the provincial and national levels for the pro-poor promotion of handicrafts and furniture production.

Scheduled to be implemented over the next three years (2010-2012), the programme is expected to contribute to the completion of the MDGs, the reduction of poverty, the implementation of gender equality, and the sustainable environmental development.

Toyota, the front-runner in hybrid cars that use two power sources — a petrol engine and another source such as an electric motor — launched the Prius, the world’s first mass-produced hybrid car, in 1997.

It will make the latest model of the Prius in Thailand, the second hybrid car following the hybrid version of the Camry sedan, the Nikkei daily and Jiji Press said without citing sources.

Local subsidiary Toyota Motor Thailand Co. will oversee the Prius production, with the technology-sensitive hybrid system including batteries and engines to be supplied from Japan, the reports said.

The world’s biggest automaker wants eventually to export the hybrid cars from Thailand to quickly expanding Asian markets, the reports said.

Sales of hybrids have been brisk in recent years because of high petrol prices and increasing public awareness of global warming.

Last year, Toyota recalled 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles to repair a flaw in the braking system, as part of around 10 million recalls worldwide that have tarnished its previously stellar reputation for quality.

However, the Prius has retained the popularity, being the most-selling cars in Japan for the past year, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association.

PANO – From the beginning of this year’s rainy season up to now, the Central Highlands Dak Lak Province has reforested around 2,675 hectares, including 2,660 hectares for production forest and 15 hectares for protective forest.

In 2010, Dak Lak Province will afforest an additional 7,020 hectares, of which 670 hectares will be for protective forest, and the remainder is for production forest. 900,000 trees of all kinds will be planted.

Trees are generally planted in the rainy season, from July to September every year.

Royal Dutch Shell posted soaring profits on Thursday and defended deep-water oil production, arguing it has an “important role” to play despite the Gulf of Mexico disaster that rocked rival BP.

The Anglo-Dutch oil giant reported a 15-percent jump in net profit to 4.39 billion dollars (3.38 billion euros) in the second quarter to June as it slashed costs and raised output.

Shell’s performance contrasts with that of BP, which on Tuesday posted a second-quarter loss of 16.9 billion dollars — the biggest-ever quarterly loss for a British company — after the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

“This is a good performance from Shell, despite today’s challenging macro-economic conditions. We are on track for growth,” Shell chief executive Peter Voser said in a statement.

Peter Voser, chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell, speaks during a press conference in London in March 2010.

Voser also offered his sympathy to all those affected by the Gulf spill — the worst environmental disaster in US history — but insisted that there remained an “important role” for deep-water oil production.

“The BP … blow-out and the related Gulf of Mexico oil spill is a tragedy for everyone affected,” Voser said.

“We were all shocked by the loss of life there, and the on-going and wide-spread impacts from the spill.”

He added: “World-wide deep water production has an important role to play in the global energy supply equation, with potential for production growth with supply diversity, and sustained investment in technology, jobs and services.

“The recent announcement of Shell’s participation in a new, one billion dollar Gulf of Mexico oil spill containment system is an example of where we are working with governments and partners to improve the industry’s capabilities,” Voser added.

BP has been mauled by Washington since the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers and unleashing millions of gallons of crude into the sea and onto the US Gulf coast.

BP chief executive Tony Hayward on Tuesday said he will step down in October, while claiming he had been “demonised and vilified” over the spill.

It has taken more than three months to stem the flow, while up to four million barrels of crude have escaped.

The catastrophe has destroyed tourism, fishing and oil industries in the five US Gulf coast states and left BP facing soaring clean-up and compensation costs.

Shell on Thursday said that its net profit, when adjusted for the value of inventories of oil and gas, soared to 4.21 billion dollars in the three months to June.

This was above expectations of 4.02 billion dollars in a Dow Jones Newswires poll of 12 analysts. Shell’s production meanwhile increased by five percent to 3.1 million barrels of oil equivalent per day.

Hai Duong Province’s People’s Committee has decided to temporarily suspend production of the Taiwanese company Tung Kuang for continually releasing untreated wastewater to environment.

Environment police find underground piles which Tung Kuang Company uses to discharge untreated wastewater into Ghe River in Hai Duong Province in March (Photo: VNA)

Hai Duong Province’s People’s Committee has decided to temporarily suspend production of the Taiwanese company Tung Kuang for continually releasing untreated wastewater to environment.

Officials seeking for the underground piles which Tung Kuang Company uses to discharge untreated wastewater into Ghe River in Hai Duong Province (Photo: VNA)

At a meeting to discuss measures to handle the issue held April 21 between province’s officials and environment investors with Tung Kuan representatives, the province People’s Committee decided to suspend company’s production related to polluting environment.

The province also revoked decisions on environmental impact evaluation and wastewater discharge licenses of the company.

The People’s Committee said that it would only consider removing the suspension decision after the company thoroughly builds a wastewater treatment system and clean water environment.

The Environment Police Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security in the middle of April said that the Tung Kuang Company was discovered discharging dozens tons of untreated wastewater to Ghe River each day in Hai Duong Province since 2005.

TOKYO, April 20, 2010 (AFP) – Nissan said Tuesday it will suspend some car production in Japan because cannot import parts from Ireland due to air traffic disruption brought by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano.

Japan’s third-largest automaker expects to lose total production of 2,000 vehicles a day in two plants from Wednesday due to a shortage of tyre pressure sensors that the company ships from Ireland, spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa said.

The parts are used in Nissan’s Cube, Murano and Rogue vehicles targeting the North American market, he said, adding that it was undecided when the company will resume production.

This file photo taken on November 12, 2009 shows Nissan Motor workers on a production line at the company’s Tochigi plant in the town of Kaminokawacho, in Tochigi prefecture, north from Tokyo. AFP photo

The part, which is obligatory in cars that run on US roads, raises an alarm if it senses abnormal air pressure, according to the company official.

Production of other models that do not require the component, including the Note minicar, X-Trail SUV and Dualis hatchback, will also be affected by the suspension.

One of two lines in Oppama, located in Yokosuka outside of Tokyo will be shut while both lines in its southern Kyushu factory will be suspended, Nissan said.

The move comes as European airspace remains largely shut due to a cloud of ash created by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano last Wednesday, creating the worst air travel chaos since the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Companies worldwide are losing millions of dollars each day as thousands of airplanes are grounded, and millions of stranded passengers are unable to get back to work.

The Nissan official declined to give a figure on the expected loss from the plants’ suspension. “We had thought that we were pretty much safe from the eruption’s impact but conditions changed on very short notice,” he said.

A fresh cloud of volcanic ash is expected to pass over Britain and Denmark but spare France, the European Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC) said Tuesday.

Air traffic has begun to return to normal in parts of Europe but Britain is expecting further disruption, VAAC said, which is one of nine volcanic ash advisory centres around the world.

Nissan, which is tied with France’s Renault, earlier this month launched a partnership with Germany’s Daimler AG, to accelerate sales of low-pollution electric cars, in another sign of consolidation in the global auto industry.

SEOUL, April 8, 2010 (AFP) – South Korea’s top manufacturers of mobile handsets produced more units overseas than at home for the first time last year, depressing exports, a state agency reported Thursday.

In 2009 handset exports by the three local firms — Samsung, LG and Pantech-Curitel Communication — dropped 14 percent from the previous year, the National IT Industry Promotion Agency said in a report.

The agency attributed the decline in exports to the drop in the local production of mobile handsets, which in 2009 fell to 147.7 million, down 9.2 percent from a year earlier.

Overseas production rose to 207.1 million handsets, a 48.9 percent increase over the same period, the agency said, noting that it was the first time the three firms produced more handsets overseas than in South Korea

In total, the three firms produced 354.8 million handsets both at home and abroad in 2009, up 17.6 percent from a year earlier, it said.

Exports of handsets from South Korea will continue to drop as the manufacturers build more factories abroad, it said.

Samsung has handset plants in China, Vietnam, India and Brazil while LG has handset-making ventures in India and Brazil. Pantech-Curitel produces handsets in China.

Quang Ninh (VNA) – The Coal and Mineral Industrial Group has set itself the target of producing 33.5 million tonnes of coal in 2009.

The total sales target for next year has been set at 36 million tonnes, which includes 2.5 million tonnes stockpiled in reserve stores.

The coal and mineral industry’s 2009 targets, which also include 9,000 tonnes of copper, 6,500 tonnes of tin and 300 kg of gold, were announced at a business conference held in the coal-mining province of Quang Ninh on Dec. 19, where numerous contracts between producers and buyers were signed.

To attain these figures, the group said it would focus on marketing and looking after its workers. The group pledged to implement a range of proactive measures, such as the expansion of its sales network to boost domestic market share, while tightening up the monitoring of coal production to put a stop to illegal exploitation.

Exports were also in the focus at the workshop, with exporters being urged to speed up coal screening and processing procedures, particularly of low-energy coal, in an effort to improve the quality of their products.

The group vowed to increase levels of labour safety through the installation of fire-alarm systems in the coal mines.-

Hanoi (VNA)– Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has pledged to create a range of favourable conditions for enterprises, in order to increase production and exports, including tax breaks and administrative reforms, amid the turmoil of the global financial crisis.

The Government leader made this pledge at a working session in Hanoi on November 20, alongside key officials from the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MIT) and executives from numerous consortiums and corporations under the auspices of the ministry.

Dung also requested the ministry to leave no stone unturned to help businesses maintain their levels of production and expand their markets while ensuring stable incomes for workers.

“The MIT should formulate and implement policies based on the reality of the nation’s current situation so as to better review investment projects that generate new jobs and increase purchasing power whilst expanding their markets, focusing on China, Japan, Russia and ASEAN member nations,” said the Government leader.

He also asked the ministry to impose tighter controls on market, so as to curb instances of smuggling and trade fraud, and to successfully control market prices.

On the other hand, the Prime Minister called upon State consortiums and corporations to forge ahead with measures to overcome current difficulties in order to boost their production levels and operate profitably.

“Your efforts will contribute considerably to the nation’s socio-economic development,” emphasised the Government leader, citing this year’s primary targets of 15-16 percent for industrial growth and 6.5 percent for economic growth.-

HA NOI — Cuu Long Joint Operating Company (Cuu Long JOC) yesterday officially marked the commencement of production from Su Tu Vang (Golden Lion) oilfield, the company’s second largest, and Viet Nam’s fourth largest oilfield.

The oilfield is located in Block15-1 off the coast of Viet Nam, southeast of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, approximately 6 kilometres south of the existing Su Tu Den (Black Lion) South West development which started production in 2003. The project includes the installation of a central processing platform (CPP), and floating storage offloading (FSO) vessel 2.4km from CPP, several in-field pipelines and modifications to the existing Su Tu Den South West well head platform.

The Su Tu Vang full field development project began in November 2005 and hit first oil two weeks ahead of schedule. This is the second time Cuu Long JOC completed a major development project ahead of schedule.

Su Tu Vang CPP is designed to process 100,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The output from the oilfield is expected to be approximately 65,000 barrels per day. The remaining capacity of Su Tu Vang CPP will be used to process production from the Su Tu Den (Black Lion) North East oilfield, scheduled to commence production in 2010.

“Golden Lion oilfield has processed approximately 2.8 million tonnes of crude oil so far this year and plans to double the output next year,” said the general manager of Cuu Long JOC, Vu Ngoc An.

Engineering, procurement, construction and installation (EPCI) contract for the CPP, Jacket and in-field pipelines was awarded to J Ray McDermott Asia Pacific in March 2006.

With the completion and commencement of production from the next five wells in 2008 in the oilfield, Cuu Long JOC’s total production is expected to double, exceeding 100,000 barrels per day.

Cuu Long JOC controls four oilfields, of which, Black Lion and White Lion ones are operational, and White Lion and Brown Lion oil fields are scheduled to begin production between 2011 and 2016.

With the completion of US$1billion Golden Lion Development project on top of the existing Black Lion oilfield production system, Cuu Long JOC has set up main facilities for operation in all four oil fields.

Cuu Long JOC is a Vietnamese joint operating company owned by the contracting parties under the Block 15-1 Petroleum Contract dated September 16, 1998, consisting of PetroVietnam Exploration and Production Corp, a wholly owned subsidiary of PetroVietnam (50 per cent); ConocoPhillips (UK) Cuu Long Limited (23.2 per cent); Korea National Oil Corp (14.2 per cent); SK Energy (Korea – 9 per cent); and Geopetrol Viet Nam SA (Monaco – 3.5 per cent), for the purpose of exploration and production in Block 15-1 off the coast of Viet Nam. —